The Prime Minister and Mr James Allen.

Bruce Herald, Volume XXXXIV, Issue 60, 2 July 1908, Page 5

The Prime Minister and Mr James Allen.

DEPUTATIONS ON SUNDAY. In his remarks on the Governor's Speech Mr James Allen referred briefly to the recent perigrinations of the Prime Minister, and hinted that Sir Joseph Ward had received a "deputation when in his (Mr Allen's) electorate on a Supday, and though he did not blame Sir Joseph Ward for the omission, he thought he, as member of the district, had had a right to be asked to be present. The Prime Minister: Do you suggest that I received a deputation on a Sunday ? Mr Allen: I was informed that you reoeived a deputation on Sunday, I s was in the town at the time, and was not in* vited to be present. The Prime Minister; I did not receive » deputation on a Sunday as far as I know. The Prime Minister said he thought the hon. gentlemen ought in fairness to his constituents to say what he meant. He had not reoeived a deputation on a Sunday. He bad, ho believed, seen some men in connection with the Kaitangata mine on a Sunday certainly, but it was not a deputation, and he had refused consistently to do business on Sunday. (" Hear, hear.") Mr Allen eaid he had been informed that another deputation had seen the Prime Minister. The chairman of the County Council was present at it. The Prime Minister: I would be glad if the hon. member would say what the deputation was. Mr Allen: I wasn't there. .. The Prime Minister: The ohajyaan of the County Counoil did not waflupon me in connection with Kaitangata mat* ters on a Sunday. Mr Allen: I was informed so, but I might be wrong. However, I am not making a great point of the matter. - In an explanation on Wednesday night Sir Joseph Ward said his secretary had looked up the records, and there was no trace of any deputation having interviewed him at Kaitangata on Sunday, or at any other place in the country. Mr Allen had himself presented the whole of the deputations that had interviewed him. In the afternoon he was in Mr Alien's company, the mayor and his wife having taken them out for a drive. During the drive something was talked about which might be construed into a public matter. The hon. member for Bruce had himself taken part in some discussion about harbor requirements at the mouth of Catlins (?). He (Sir Joseph Ward) had always refused to receive deputations on Sunday. Mr Allen said he had been told that a deputation of miners had waited on the Prime Minister on Sunday morning, and also the chairman of the County Counoil. Sir Joseph Ward gave both these statements an emphatic denial. Some of the miners saw him on Sunday morning, and possibly also some farmers saw him on Sunday, but the hon. member also saw him on the Sunday. It was not to be supposed that he (Sir Joseph Ward) was to shut himself up on Sunday, bo that no one could see him for fear of its being said that they were a deputation.—Ofcago Daily Times' Wei* lington correspondent.

In our ißsue of April 13th, 1908, appears the following —Deputation to the Prime Minister.— Messrs Joseph Mosley (chairman of the Brace County Council) and John Smith (Incholutha) waited on the Prime Minis* ter on Sunday morning at his ropms at the Club Hotel. No official intimation was given to Mr Allen the member for the district of this deputation, and consequently he was not present; The deputation asked for a grant of £2OO for river protective works at Inchclutha. Mr Mosley, having explained the position, the Prime Minister said that assistance could not be given at present, but when the estimates were being compiled next year he would be glad to consider the matter. A deputation from the Otago Miners' Union, consisting of Mr Weston (presi«> dent), Mr Forbes (seoretary), and Mr D. "M'lnnes, also waited upon the Prime Minister with reference to certain suggested alterations in the Coal Mines' Act and the Arbitration and Conciliation Act. The Prime Minister promised to look very carefully into the various matters brought forward, and to give the representations made the fullest consideration. Mr Jameß Allen, M.P. for the district, was not present, not being advised of the deputation. In our issue of April 16, 1908, a letter signed by A. Weston, President Otago Miners' Union, is published. It says, inter alia, "you state that Mr Allen, M.P., was not notified of the deputation, and consequently was not present. This is correct, and I hasten to reassure you thai no discourtesy was intended to Mr Allen by our not notifying him," etc. From the foregoing it will be seen that there is a lapse of memory somewhere. We do not say that the keputations were official or unofficial, but the facts are that they met the Prime Minister on Sunday morning, April 12, 1908, at Kaitangata, and the people mentioned were there, and whether the proceedings were noted by the private secretary or not, the fact remains that tbo deputations were specially arranged to meet the Prime Minister on Sunday morning, and they did so meet him.